Loading pallet



K. i. EKLUND LOADING PALLET Get. 14, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1968 Oct. 14, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 21 1968 FIGA United States Patent U.S. Cl. 108-51 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A loading pallet in which an upper deck or load supporting surface is defined by a plurality of wooden boards or planks held substantially in the same plane and parallel to each other by at least two transverse elongated metal members. A plurality of distance members or spacers are located between the metal members and a plurality of Wooden base members. Means are provided for securing the metal members to the lower surfaces of the wooden boards. Each elongated metal member is of substantial channel shape provided with a bottom wall substantially similar and opposite side walls and an upper flange portion extends outwardly from the upper edge of each side Wall. Each flange is provided with a plurality of arcuate tongues struck therefrom and extending upwardly from the flange portion with the tongues being adapted to engage with the material of the wooden boards for forming a firm connection or joint therewith.

The present invention relates to loading pallets.

More particularly, this invention relates to loading pallets having an upper deck or a load supporting surface defined by a plurality of wooden boards or planks held substantially in a plane and parallel to each other by at least two transverse members with a number of distance members or spacers arranged between the transverse members and a plurality of Wooden base members so that the distance members provide sufiicient space between the upper deck or load supporting surface and the wooden base members for receiving the lift fork of a fork lift truck.

Until the present time the usual practice has been to manufacture loading pallets of the type in question substantially entirely of wood and nails or screws have been used for fastening the wooden parts or components to each other. The manufacture of such loading pallets is, however, comparatively expensive and pallets made in this manner are rather heavy. The strength of the pallets is to a great extent dependent on the employment of skilled labor and the quality of the wooden members, particularly the transverse members, the distance members and the joint therebetween.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved transverse member of sheet metal which is light, rigid and inexpensive to manufacture and which may be provided with means for directly forming a strong joint or connection with the boards or planks of the upper deck or load supporting surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved distance members or spacers of sheet metal which may be connected to the transverse members by spot welding and to the wooden base members b means for directly constituting a strong joint or union.

The means for directly constituting a strong joint or union between a sheet metal member and wooden member in accordance with the present invention includes arcuate tongues struck from the sheet metal and protruding at one side thereof and such tongues, their mode of manufacture, shape and manner of attachment to a wooden member is illustrated and described in my copending application Ser.

No. 615,737, filed Feb. 13, 1967, and entitled Method and Means for Fastening a Wooden Member to a Metal Support.

The present invention essentially resides in a loading pallet in which each of the elongated transverse members is substantially of channel shape having a bottom wall or web, a pair of similar and opposite side walls, a flange portion extending outwardly from each side wall and a plurality of arcuate tongues struck from each flange and protruding upwardly from the flange surface, with such tongues being adapted to engage with the material of the wooden boards or planks and provide a firm joint therebetween and the transverse members.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed specification and annexed drawings and in which drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention illustrating only one board or plank of the upper deck or load supporting surface, one short section of the transverse elongated metal member, one distance member or spacer and one wooden base member,

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic end view of a loading pallet illustrating three transverse elongated metal members attached to the boards or planks of the upper deck or load supporting surface,

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along line IIIIII of FIG- URE 1, the view looking in the direction of the arrows with the different elements having been brought into Working engagement with another,

FIGURE 4 is a view generally similar to FIGURE 3 of a second embodiment of the invention, and

FIGURE 5 is a view taken along the line VV of FIGURE 4, the view looking in the direction of the arrows. 1

With reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES 13, it will be noted that a loading deck or load supporting surface of a pallet includes a plurality of elongated wooden boards or planks 4 arranged substantially in the same plane and parallel to each other. While FIG- URES 1 and 3 illustrate but one such plank or board 4, it will be appreciated that the deck as disclosed in FIGURE 2, is constituted of several of such planks or boards arranged substantially edge-to-edge for defining an approximately flat and continuous surface.

In a direction transverse to the planks or boards 4, two or more sheet metal members are arranged for retaining the boards 4 in a plane and substantially parallel to each other. Each sheet metal member is substantially channel-shaped and is provided with a bottom wall or web 1, substantially similar and opposite side walls 1' along each edge of the wall 1. At the upper edge of each side wall is provided a flange portion 1" with such flange portions lying in substantially the same plane and extending outwardly in opposite directions. A plurality of tongues 2 are struck from the material of the flange portions 1" leaving apertures 3 therein and the tongues protrude upwardly respecting the flange portions. The shape of the tongues, their method of manufacture and similar details which constitute no part of the present invention have been illustrated and described in my copending application Ser. No. 615,737 which has been mentioned above.

It will be noted, however, that while the tongues 2 shown in FIGURE 1 are directed substantially perpendicular to the flange portions 1", their orientation in 'FIGURE 3 is shown to be more inclined in a direction toward their center of curvature. This is a result of the tongues having been pressed or forced into the wood thereby providing a joint between the sheet metal member and the wooden board or plank 4 of exceptional strength and firmness as pointed out in my above mentioned copending application.

It will further be noted in FIGURE 1 that a distance member or spacer is provided and such member is preferably made from sheet metal and includes two lower flanges 10 which lie substantially in the same plane and which are directed outwardly from two legs 5. The legs extend upwardly and are inclined toward one another and are joined at their top portions by a substantially flat intermediate portion. To increase the stiflness of the distance members or spacers, the edges thereof may be provided with portions 5' deflected approximately 90 from the main portion of the legs 5. It will further be noted that the flanges may be equipped with similar edge portions which serve to engage with the material of a wooden base member 12, as disclosed in FIGURE 3.

The flanges 10 of the spacer are each provided with at least a pair of arcuate tongues 2 struck from the material of the flanges and leaving apertures 33 therein. The tongues are bent in opposite directions preferably toward each other, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3, for firmly engaging with the material of the base member 12.

FIGURE 2 illustrates an assembled loading pallet constructed in accordance with the invention, but is drawn on a scale considerably reduced with respect to FIG- URES 1 and 3. From these figures, it will be appreciated that the distance members or spacers are considerably shorter than the transverse sheet metal members so that a plurality of distance members or spacers will generally 2 be distributed along one transverse sheet metal member and joined thereto by suitable means, preferably by means of spot welding.

With further reference to FIGURES 1 and 3, it will be seen that the end of the bottom wall or Web 1 may be provided with an edge portion 7 constituting an abutment or limit for a load securing member provided with a hook 14 engaging the edge portion 7. By virtue of the tapered side walls of the sheet metal member, the hook 14 may have a suitably adapted shape for being firmly retained when in a substantially vertical position, but easily removable in a substantially horizontal position. The load securing member 15 may be part of a side wall for the deck or load supporting surface or may be attached to one end of a rope or the like.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention and since the general shape of the transverse member and its attachment to the boards or planks of the upper deck is similar to that described in connection with FIGURES 13, a description of these details will not-be set forth. This embodiment of the invention is directed to the distance member or spacer and the portion of the transverse member to which the distance member is attached.

It will be seen in FIGURE 4- that the bottom wall of the metal member is provided with a substantially cupshaped depression at each location where a distance member or spacer is to be secured thereto. This depression is defined essentially by cylindrical side walls 5' which taper downwardly and terminate in an approximately flat or planar bottom portion 6. The distance member or spacer is also constituted by a substantially cup-shaped portion with cylindrical side walls 8 which taper upwardly and terminate in a substantially flat or planar top portion 9.

The base portion of the distance member or spacer includes an approximately rectangular plate 10 provided with two pairs of tongues 2 which serve for securing the distance member to the wooden base member in a similar manner to that disclosed in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1-3. The tongues 2" are struck from the plate 10 at substantially the corners thereof thereby leaving apertures 3 in the material. It will be seen that the plate 10 is further provided with edge portions 11 bent downwardly at an angle from the plate for engaging in the material of the wooden base member 12. The walls 5' and 8 preferably have a conical taper and their respective flat or planar portions 6 and 9 joined together by spot welding.

I claim:

1. A load supporting pallet having an upper loading deck defined by a plurality of mutually parallel wooden boards, a lower deck defined by a plurality of mutually wooden boards, and distance members connecting said upper and lower decks, the improvement comprising that the distance members include at least two transversely disposed elongated members extending from one side of the pallet to the other and being substantially U-shaped with the legs thereof bent in opposite directions to constitute horizontal flanges, said flanges being provided with a plurality of arcuate tongues struck from each flange and protruding upwardly from the flange and adapted to engage with the material of the wooden boards of the upper deck to join said transverse member to said wooden boards, and a plurality of leg portions for each transverse member, said leg portions having horizontal flanges provided with a plurality of arcuate tongues struck therefrom and protruding downwardly and adapted to engage with the material of the wooden boards of the lower deck to join together the leg portions and the lower deck, and said leg portions being spaced apart so as to allow the introduction between the upper and lower decks and perpendicular to the elongated members, the lift fork of a forklift truck.

2. The loading pallet as claimed in claim 1 in which the bottom wall of each elongated member is provided with a plurality of cup-shaped depressions for serving as attachment means for said distance members.

3. The loading pallet as claimed in claim 2 in which each of said cup-shaped depressions is provided with downwardly tapering side walls and a substantially fiat bottom portion, and each of said distance members being provided with a substantially flat top portion adapted to be spot welded to said flat bottom portion.

References Cited '0 0 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,232,991 9/1941 Zeindler 10858 2,256,750 9/1941 Riemenschnieder 108--5l Fr 2,327,847 8/1943 Ohayle 108-58 2,819,859 1/1958 Garbarino l0858 3,011,226 12/1961 Menge 20--92 3,020,602 2/1962 Ziering 204 FOREIGN PATENTS 569,143 3/ 1956 Italy.

81,301 11/1955 Netherlands. 556,004 5/ 1957 Belgium.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner GLENN O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner 

